BEYONCE

UN WHD

When Beyonce is slated to perform in the United Nations for World Humanitarian Day, what is the most fantastic technical spectacle possible?

We conceived of a massive projection mapping project unlike anything the world (especially the United Nations) had ever seen before. We transformed the iconic General Assembly of the United Nations into a living canvas, connecting it to a global audience. Molded to the unique architecture of the General Assembly Hall, we implemented the largest indoor concave projection screen ever created as an animated backdrop for a live performance of Beyoncé’s “I Was Here,” the adopted anthem of World Humanitarian Day. The project required a white/white blackout lining that became a flawless projection surface onto which ten synchronized and mapped projections covered the screen with 200,000 lumens, creating one continuous image. The music video shot during the show helped the World Humanitarian Day campaign reach over 2 billion people globally while maintaining the integrity of their mission.

The 1,000 pound, 46’ high x 224’ wide screen was pieced together by a team of sewers who worked around the clock for two days due to the urgency of the task. Once hung, the screen molded to the unique architecture of the General Assembly Hall. Building a screen of this magnitude, in a room that was not designed for theatrical lighting projections, made for innumerable technical challenges. In addition to intensive engineering work that went into fabricating and rigging the massive screen, installation involved ten synchronized and mapped projections covered the screen with 200,000 lumens, creating one continuous image.

It was the largest indoor compound curved screen ever created – a complex and sophisticated project. It was custom designed to mold to the inside of the General Assembly Hall. The screen spanned 224 ft X 46 ft (68m X 15m) and surrounded the audience with a 240 degree immersive projection. Ten synchronized and mapped projections covered the screen with 200,000 lumens, creating one continuous image. After fabricating and transporting the massive screen to the UN, was necessary provide a complete rigging package and installation service. Due to the lack of rigging points, permanent steel plates had to be welded into the existing structure in order to support the weight of the 6,000 pound supergrid system.